Articles

It's Our Turn: 25 years gone in the blink of an eye

Ah, graduation time. Seems like only yesterday I was walking up on the Brandon High School stage to get my diploma. But (sigh) it was actually a bit longer ago than that. My class is celebrating its 25-year reunion this summer. Where does the time go?

Worley celebrates 35 years of using a God-given talent

Rebecca Worley’s long and fruitful career actually began at age 6, when she begged her parents to let her take piano lessons. “My parents bought a piano, which was no easy task on a pastor’s salary in those days,” she recalled.

• Final Sunday

An 'accidental' discovery

Brady Lind of Alexandria is your typical 9-year-old rough-and- tumble boy. He loves hockey and baseball and playing with his brothers Evan, 12, and Caleb, 7. That’s why his parents, Scott and Linda, weren’t surprised when he ended up with a possible fracture in his elbow.

• Lind family

Are we 'Parkinson's friendly'?

Here’s one statistic Minnesota doesn’t want to brag about – it’s the third largest state per capita impacted by Parkinson’s disease (PD). An estimated 20,000 people are living with PD in Minnesota; the only states with greater PD impact are North Dakota and South Dakota.

'Busy and active and socially happy' despite Parkinson's diagnosis

After 33 years of harried deadlines and countless evenings and weekends spent covering area sporting events, Larry Holverson was looking forward to retirement. But his vision of what retirement looked like changed considerably just two weeks before he wrapped up his career. In May 2007, the Echo Press sports editor was told he had Parkinson’s disease (PD).

• Holversons

Column - Newspapers make a difference

Throughout the school year I am fortunate to have the opportunity to go into area classrooms and teach students about newspapers through Newspapers in Education (NIE), an international program that promotes children’s literacy by using newspapers as teaching tools.

Passion drama cancelled because of wintry weather

The annual Passion Drama presented by members of Zion Lutheran and Good Shepherd Lutheran churches of Alexandria has been cancelled this year due to the weather. In its 14-year history, this is the first time the drama has been cancelled.

• Guarding the Tomb

So much to do, so little time

The only thing Harry and Joan Davis of Brandon have to worry about during retirement is how to find enough time to get everything done. Their shop is full of projects patiently waiting to be completed. While the projects themselves aren’t in any hurry, the Davises are.

• Carved fish
• Joan and Harry Davis
• Carved animals
• Carved duck

Bad secrets

For most parents, protecting their children is one of their main objectives. When something bad happens, feelings of anger, confusion and helplessness can be overwhelming. That’s what happened to one Alexandria mother when she wasn’t able to protect her children from something “bad.”

• The Bad Secret book

Inner poet emerges

Although Julia Olson’s poetic inspirations began as a child, she said they were “locked away in the depths of her mind until now and like spirits of the past, waited in the shadows for someone or something to set them free.”

• Book of poetry

Columns

Column - Learn from the 'diverse'

Today’s Life section features a story about diversity. When people think of diversity, they often think of differences in skin color or maybe religion. But this article focuses on a different type of diversity – disabilities.

Column - True confessions of a plant abuser

So much for the theory that if a little is good, more is better. In 2002 I received a beautiful green plant from a friend, congratulating me on an honor I had received. It was a hardy plant that could flourish in an office environment without direct sunlight. Best of all, it was easy to care for.

Column – A sermon to remember

Lead by example. Actions speak louder than words. We’ve heard these expressions and others like them. It’s not difficult to figure out what they mean. But sometimes it is difficult to live them.